“The money is now going to be used in 'Connected Bangladesh' project which aims at taking high-speed internet to remote areas of the country,” State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak told bdnews24.com on Sunday.
He said that the decision to use the money in the project was taken at a recent meeting of the Digital Network Coordination Committee.
Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) started raising the Social Obligatory Fund (SOF) in December 2012 by tapping 1 percent of mobile-phone operators’ income to expand telecommunications.
Minister Palak said the work to give internet connection through fibre-optic cables to 813 union councils in two projects was under way.
According to him, more than Tk 6 billion lying idle in the SOF will be used to give fibre-optic connections to remaining 772 union councils.
Asked whether a division's money can be utilised for another division, Palak said, "The government's money can be used in any development (project)."
"The government has targeted to the fibre-optic connections to all the union councils within 2018," he added.
He also said the 'Connected Bangladesh' project was in the initial assessment level and the work will begin after getting the final approval.
A top official of the ICT Division said the estimated cost of the project is Tk 6.52 billion.
After the issue of the available fund had been raised in a bdnews24.com dialogue last year, State Minister for Post and Telecommunications Tarana Halim said she would arrange to spend the funds.
Tarana later told the media that it would be used to expand and develop telecoms and ICT.
On Sunday, she said the fund is about to reach at Tk 10 billion marks.
"It has been kept as FDR. It's a resource of our country. It will get idle if we keep it this way. It has to be used," she said.
Asked about approving the ICT Division proposal to use the money, she said, "We've said: 'The Internet for all'. We want to give connections to remote areas. It will not be used commercially, but for people's welfare."
"There is a committee headed by the prime minister on the use of SOF. There are guidelines to use such funds. The fund is being raised, and we will use it in the future," she added.